Walking into the warm, aromatic embrace of the new, gingham-curtained, brightly austere café on Fenway's Restaurant Row on one of the new year's first frosty mornings felt a bit like walking into a hug after getting one's feelings bruised by an unkind word. Why let cruel Northeast weather get me down when there are crepes to be had?

And a fine assortment of crepes at that. The chill still ebbing out of my bones, I was momentarily distracted by the homemade baked goods in a display case at the counter. Sugar cookies, red-velvet chocolate cake, and a decadent-looking pumpkin-maple cake all proffered seductively sweet comfort, but I rebuffed their advances and focused on the task at hand. The crepes. Studying the menu written in chalk on a blackboard high behind the counter, I was torn. Savory or sweet? I finally decided on a classic — a lemon and sugar crepe ($3.95), which left me with another tough decision. White or brown sugar? I asked the lone, patient server his opinion. Brown, he told me decisively. Sold. Paired with a strong, well-brewed 12-ounce latte ($3.20), my crepe — which I hypnotically watched him ladle over a steaming griddle and fill generously with brown sugar — was enormous and delicious. Enormous enough, in fact, that I wrapped up most of it to go before bidding my crepe mentor adieu and heading to the office.

It was a brief goodbye. I was back that afternoon, eager to sample one of the savory options at the café, now bustling with a lunchtime rush. This time, I knew what I wanted: their Signature ($6.95), a slightly smaller delicacy stuffed full of arugula, feta, mozzarella, and tomato with a sharp balsamic vinaigrette, which will ever serve as my pizza alternative in the future. Crepe-frenzied, I stuck my fork in my dining companion's Garden crepe ($7.50) with roasted vegetables, herbs, and mozzarella drizzled with fresh pesto, which proved equally tasty. Paris by way of Sox Country. Who knew?

Valentine's Day for the Frugal and Savvy Diner On the Cheap thinks you should take your honey out to a fabulous dinner in February. But fine dining on Valentine's Day, with its overpriced prix fixes, cheap Champagne, and harried servers is a rookie choice, like clubbing on New Year's Eve.

On the Cheap: Kigo Kitchen When it comes to quality, Asian takeout joints are typically miles behind their traditional sit-down counterparts.

On the Cheap: Doowee & Rice When I finally strolled into DooWee & Rice, a new East Asian eatery in Powder House Square, close to closing time after a weirdly long drive from Central, I had beef and noodles on the brain.

On the Cheap: Banh Mi House A newcomer to our city's unfortunately anemic banh mi scene, Banh Mi House is located in the urban hellscape we call Downtown Crossing, tucked into a small, difficult-to-find quasi food court.

On the Cheap: Felcaro Pizzeria By day, there isn't much to distinguish Cambridge Street's Felcaro Pizzeria from the infinitude of American pizza joints.

THE TNT SHORT LIST: ARTSEMERSON'S NEXT THING | February 12, 2013 Mike Daisey's anthropologic commentary on American culture is just the beginning of what ArtsEmerson has in store for festival-goers at The Next Thing (TNT) Festival.